Chapter 23

Let's Break the Rules

7 unread messages.

Pete: Ay..guess what?[11:22 p.m.]

Pete: You there?[11:29 p.m.]

Pete: Bro...hit me back when you wake up.[11:35 p.m.]

Pete: Never mind that last text, this can't wait. Dude guess what?[11:37 p.m.]

Pete: Oh wait, you can't guess because you're sleep. Well, we're getting married![11:38 p.m.]

Pete: I mean, after she says yes n all. But like right after she does, we're getting married! [11:38 p.m.]

Pete: Ring's fuckin huge. Cost me a fortune. At least a quarter carot, sterling silver. Wal-Mart's finest man. But yeah...talk to ya tomorrow. Let ya know how it goes. [11:40 p.m.]

I woke up to the messages from Pete, rubbing my eyes several times before admitting that it wasn't just me. This fool really said he was about to marry Rashonda.

I texted my assistant to see if she was up. I swear, that girl never slept. Starbucks was running through her veins with how much she drank their coffee to stay on top of grad school. Tried not to press her too much for that very reason, but this was yet another emergency.

After a few messages had gotten tapped out between us, she found me another pilot to take me back to Charlotte.

It was early, so the sun still hadn't come up, but Danielle's sleep was interrupted by the phone's screen light. Her eyes focused in on my message thread as she came to.

"You stay on your phone," she groaned.

"How you know?"

Eyes still closed, she pressed her lips flat. "Because I know you."

She rolled over out of reach of the glare so she could go back to sleep.

I went into the bathroom to freshen up and started getting dressed. When I came out, Danielle was sitting up in the bed, wide awake and staring.

"What?" I said. Sounded just as dumb as my facial expression.

"I'm too old for these little hit-it and quit-its. And you spent way too much money to be doin' one. So you tell me what."

I laughed, walking towards her. "I'm not quitting anything. I have to get back home. Tend to some business. We're not done with anything as far as I'm concerned." I kissed her on her forehead for reassurance.

It didn't work.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yeah, I guess. You dropping me off or do I need to call a ride?"

"Already arranged for your transportation. He'll be outside waiting in about an hour, but you can check out whenever you're ready. He's not going anywhere."

"How does it feel to be so in control? 'He's not going anywhere'," she mimicked. "Like the world is in your hands or something. That why you came up here, busting through church doors like you John Travolta or somebody? You think you all'at since you made it, huh?"

"Come on, D. Don't try me like that. I've always had confidence. Just now, with money, it's a little easier to do some things. Other things, I just take a chance and hope for the best. And I'm glad I did." I kissed her again.

This time she smiled.

"So you really wanna do this, huh? Me and you. You serious?"

"Very," I responded.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well, for starters, I never had a doubt. As a matter of fact, why don't you come with me? Come to North Carolina."

She laughed and looked away. When she looked back at me and saw me not smiling, she stopped.

"Hold on...what?"

"I said come with me."

"And do what?"

"Not be away from me again." I admit, I didn't think before I spoke. I didn't have to.

I'd never been more sure of anything in my life. No insecurities about my ability to love her, consistently and genuinely. No questions about what would happen if I were to ever mess up. I was just...sure.

"That's crazy, Superman. This isn't college anymore. I have a job I have to--"

"Quit your job. And come with me. I took a chance and came for you. Now take a chance and come back with me. We can get your stuff later and I'll make sure you have everything you need while you're there."

"So you're tryna shack up?"

"I'm trying to shower you with my love until you're drenched from head to toe," I said playfully as I gently brushed the back of my fingers across her mahogany cheeks. "But if it makes you feel better, I can get you a place of your own, name on the lease and everything. As for marriage, definitely don't want to propose to you out of obligation just so we can be politically correct. When it's the right time, we'll cross that bridge."

"And let's not forget there's no guarantee I'll say yes anyway."

"Right. So for now...just trust me."

"That's a lot of trust."

"And we'll need every bit of it to make it last. So, let's break the rules."

I grabbed her hand. She stood up from the bed. The covers slid from her body reminding me that she was completely naked.

I pushed her away from me so she fell back on top of the covers.

"Superman!" she yelled angrily.

I kneeled down, grabbed her legs, and lifted them onto my shoulders.

Had my breakfast early.

***

By the time we'd gotten off the jet, I'd filled her in on Pete and his whole situation with Rashonda.

She felt like he deserved it for making black women his fetish. She didn't blush at the sound of anyone putting race in the same boat as her character and other things she thought should matter more. Didn't see it like that until she said it, but it made sense.

"So now you're trying to go and do what? Stop him from marrying this chick?" she said, chewing through a handful of dried apples.

"Something like that. Not exactly stop him, but at least let 'em know what's up. I mean, that's the homie. I can't let 'im do that to himself."

"And you said he loves her, right? Like for real?"

"Yea-up. Crazy about her."

"Hmph. You still out here tryna save everybody from themselves."

I looked over at her in the passenger side, taking my eyes off the road longer than I should have.

"If that's what you call it," I said. "I think you'd want somebody to do the same for you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, whatever. I think if you keep grabbing people's hand the moment it gets too close to the stove, they'll never learn for themselves why they shouldn't touch it. Then when you leave, they'll just burn themselves anyway."

I didn't respond. Let her have that one while I drove us over to Pete's job.

I pulled up and saw him crouched behind the dumpster, pretending to look busy until he realized it was me.

"Crud, I'd just lit that cigarette. You made me waste it for no reason."

"Told you about smoking 'em in the first place," I said, stepping out of the car.

Without asking or me saying anything, Danielle hopped out too. Her shades on, belly shirt and high-waist jeans. Like my partner.

The way she'd always done when I needed to pay attention in class more, when I didn't have anything and she came to make sure I wanted for nothing. The same instinctive support that had her fueling my dreams from day one was second nature for even the smallest things like hopping out the car and making sure she was by my side. I loved that about her.

"Yeah, yeah. Cigarettes, shmigarettes. They tell us not to put anything in the microwave that has foil or metal on it too, but nobody listens to that. Besides, the way things are going right now, I could use a little help getting put out of my misery."

He looked over at Danielle. Straightened his hat and re-tucked in his shirt.

"You didn't tell me you were bringing company." He reached out his hand. "Hi, the name's Pete."

Danielle looked at me. I spoke up, "And this is Danielle, the one I've been telling you about."

"Danielle? As in....Danielle-Danielle?" he said.

I shook my head hoping to God he wouldn't say anything that'd get me and him both slapped.

"Yes, that's me." She smiled and firmly shook his hand.

"Damn, bro. I didn't know you were into black women. I thought you said they were all--"

"P., chill with the jokes. She don't know you yet so she don't know you joking." I turned to Danielle, mercifully. "Babe. He's joking. I promise you, he's just teasing."

"No, no, no," Pete continued. "That's why you asked me to hook you up with my sister. By the way, does she still have the key to your house? I need to wash clothes but I don't want to bother you while you have company."

I laughed out of nerves.

"Superman," Danielle smiled. "I think your friend here is a little jealous of me." She grabbed my ass. "You wish this was your hand. Don't ya, Pee Wee?"

Pete's face straightened back. Danielle reached up and kissed my neck.

"It's just Pete. And no, for your information I do not wish that was my hand. How'd we get on this subject anyway?"

"Man, tell me what's up. You said something about gettin' put out of your misery."

"Oh, right. Man..." His face went back to the perturbed mien he had before. "I don't know, bro. I just don't know."

"Shonda?" I asked.

"Yeah,"

"I was going to tell you before but--"

"She said no, bro. I proposed and she said no..." he looked up at me. "Wait, you were going to tell me about what?"

"Man, I don't know how to tell you this but I'mma just go ahead and say it."

He motioned his hand in a forward circle. "Okay...?"

"Look, she only wanted you for his, money." Danielle blurted out.

She was crossing the line and getting a little too damned comfortable. I used to like when she finished my sentences. It used to be romantic.

She looked at me. "What? We've been out here too long already for you to just tell him that. I'm hungry, too. Shoot."

"Danielle, why don't you go wait for me in the car?"

She rolled her eyes and walked back like she could care less about Pete's feelings.

"My bad, P. Ain't mean it to come out like that."

"So that's it? I already knew she was with me for your money. Hell, I was in it for hers too. That was our thing. Two completely different people with so much in common. It was supposed to be forever, me and her." He kicked an empty soda can over to the dumpster.

I stood in awe. My face most likely looked more along the lines of perplexed, but it indeed was awe.

"I'm a good guy, Shawn. Don't you agree?" he said rhetorically. "I mean, I'm the same guy who goes to a restaurant and asks for water. Then I go to the soda machine and I actually get water. I'm the guy who drops food, and if I can't pick it up in thirty seconds or less, then I won't eat it. That's me. The good guy. So why is it that bad things happen to us, huh?"

I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't trip, man. It'll work itself out. These kinds of things do."

The whole time he was talking, I couldn't help but think to myself; Maybe he and Rashonda deserved each other after all.